We make Asian comfort food with a focus on Taiwanese cuisine. We don’t pretend to be 100% authentic nor 100% fusion, we just want to put out good food with a side of food coma.
Taiwan
Growing up in Taiwan, Jennifer Cheng draws all the Taiwanese dishes from her memories. Whether it be from helping fold dumplings with her grandparents, memories of going out at night to get street food with her parents or watching her dad meticulously cut everything perfectly for each dish he would make for the family. Tiam Tiam is just an accumulation of all of her love for food and memories with her family. So please enjoy her life through our dishes.
USA
Born and raised in Colorado, Jesse Kim always had a passion for food and started out as a sushi chef while getting his bachelors in Economics. He decided to go all in with the industry after graduation and worked at Oak at Fourteenth under Steven Redzikowski and eventually moved to NYC to pursue his dream of working in NYC. He started at The NoMad Hotel under Chef James Kent and Chef Brian Lockwood where he honed his craft. He left to become a sous chef at the legendary Pearl Oyster Bar. Wanting a place of their own, Jesse and Jennifer came upon a location in Harrison, New Jersey. They worked at 4 Charles Prime Rib until construction of the Tiam Tiam restaurant was complete.
Tiam Tiam
The Chinese character 惦 has the meaning of think of, remember, and/or miss. In Tiam Tiam, we love to create dishes that remind you of your hometown and home-cooking and bring back memories of eating comfort food with your family. At the same time, we add our own twists and creativity. The pronunciation of Tiam Tiam in Taiwanese Hokkien also means “to be quiet.” This is a phrase some grandmas used to tell the kids. The grandmas wanted the kids to be quiet and focus on eating. Our goal is to use food to bring back your precious and funny memories of dinner as a kid. Let us have some fun together and “be quiet, eat your food!”
The logo is inspired by the window grill patterns from old neighborhoods in Taiwan. Growing up in Taiwan, one of the most comforting things to do is to walk through old neighborhoods, finding small shops while soaking in the history and memories of a distant past. The feelings reminds me of my roots and memories of my grandparents. We combined the Chinese character 惦 and the idea of the old neighborhood window grill patterns into the logo which represents something you miss and find comfort in.
Jennifer brings the memories and creativity, while Jesse brings the technique and experience. Together they bring out the best in each other and work as a team to put out the delicious and beautiful dishes of Tiam Tiam.
